University coming to downtown Escondido

Catholic school's campus approved by City Council

ESCONDIDO  Dozens of college students focused on entertainment careers are about to invade downtown Escondido.

City Council members on Wednesday cleared away the last hurdle facing a small Catholic university that wants to establish a campus in the former site of the Mingei International Museum at Maple Street and Grand Avenue.

Despite concerns about parking congestion and worries that the campus contradicts the city’s goal of a downtown district focused on night life, council members voted 4-1 to approve a conditional use permit that will allow the school to open.

They said John Paul the Great Catholic University and its 140 students would enliven the area, boost downtown merchants, improve local education and possibly bring the city some startup businesses created by students.

“I hope this is just the beginning of the university’s growth and expansion in Escondido,” Councilman Mike Morasco said.

Councilwoman Olga Diaz said she was excited the university expects enrollment to grow quickly to 300 students.

“Three-hundred people will breathe life into the urban core,” she said.

Councilman Ed Gallo cast the no vote.

He said the university wouldn’t provide sales tax or property tax to the city, unlike just about any other business that would take over the site.

Gallo also said most of the students would be younger than 21, making it hard for them to bolster local bars and restaurants.

And he said the city was hastily filling a conspicuous vacancy just as the improving economy is about to make commercial properties more scarce.

In addition, Gallo said the university’s plan to have students and faculty park at the empty H. Johnson Furniture building behind the old Mingei had recently fallen through because property negotiations had hit a stalemate.

“I know parking is going to be a problem — I just know it,” he said.

Derry Connolly, university president, said the school would police student parking with decals and fines. He also said most students would live less than a half mile from the campus at Latitude 33, an upscale complex at Washington Avenue and Escondido Boulevard that opened one year ago, and would walk to school.

Connolly also said the school has an incentive to avoid creating a parking problem.

“If we tick off every shop keeper in downtown, we won’t be welcome here,” he said.

After the council meeting, Connolly said the approval would allow the university to quickly close escrow on the vacant Mingei building and begin holding classes there as soon as July 1.

“We’re excited to see that at least four of the five City Council members are bullish on the idea,” he said.

An analysis presented by the university this winter shows that during its second year in Escondido it would generate $815,000 in economic activity, including $618,000 in grocery sales, $117,000 in dining, $55,000 in retail and $25,000 in recreation.

The Mingei building, the former site of a JC Penney, was vacant for years before the museum opened in 2003. The museum closed to visitors in 2010, but Mingei officials have continued to keep its display windows filled so the building won’t look abandoned.

Bill Martin, the city’s principal planner, said the university would keep the display windows active and create a production studio in the building.

Connolly said the university hopes to acquire the AmericaWest Bank building at Maple Street and Grand Avenue for its administrative offices. And he said there was still a chance the school would acquire the H. Johnson site.

Martin said the presence of the university might prompt alcohol licensing officials to more closely scrutinize new restaurants, bars and other businesses that sell alcohol. But he said such businesses would still probably be able to get licensed.